July 2, 2026 · 6 min read
Screen print vs embroidery vs DTF: which to pick
A plain-English comparison of the three decoration methods we run most, with the order sizes, artwork and garments each one suits best.
Screen print: best for bigger runs of bold artwork
Screen printing pushes ink through a stencil, one screen per color. Setup takes time, so the first shirt is expensive and the hundredth is cheap. That makes it the right call for team shirts, event merch and anything over about fifty pieces.
It shines with bold, flat artwork and heavy coverage. Photographic gradients and twenty color illustrations are where it gets expensive fast.
Embroidery: best for hats, polos and anything that should feel premium
Thread costs are driven by stitch count, not color count, so a compact logo in nine colors is cheaper than a wide one in two. Embroidery survives industrial washing and reads as more finished, which is why work uniforms and hats lean on it.
Keep the artwork simple. Small text, thin outlines and fine gradients do not survive the needle.
DTF: best for small runs and full color detail
Direct to film prints your artwork onto a transfer sheet, then heat presses it onto the garment. There is no per color setup, so a run of twelve full color shirts is genuinely affordable.
Use DTF for small drops, photo artwork, mixed garment colors in one order and rush jobs. For very large runs, screen print still wins on price per piece.